Cafe attack: FIR yet to be lodged in T2F mugging case

People were told they’d be shot in the face if they looked at the robbers.

KARACHI:

Even though more than 24 hours have passed since dozens of people were mugged at the Second Floor café in DHA late Sunday night, no First Information Report (FIR) has been filed into the incident.

Up to four men, according to a witness, robbed 30 people while an art exhibition was under-way.

T2F PeaceNiche Director Sabeen Mehmud said she didn’t immediately report the mass mugging to the police station because chaos had descended on the café. She needed time to think over the incident after advice was offered by well-wishers.

She said she wanted the report to be filed on Monday, but “was stopped by police from doing so until the next day.” One of Peaceniche NGO’s well-wishers had advised her to go through the DIG’s office instead of wasting time at the area police station.  “We have been told to wait until tomorrow to file the report.”

She complained about the police and said that when their mobile unit arrived at the scene of the crime on Sunday, their first reaction was to blame the management of the café instead of going after the thieves immediately. “They kept on saying, ‘Why didn’t you inform us about this event?’ They were ignorant of the fact that T2F has been conducting such events for years now without any untoward incident.”

All programmes at the T2F café will remain as scheduled, including Zehra Nigah’s programme on Tuesday.  However, the children’s theatre on Monday morning was put off because of concern shown by the parents. “We have been urged by people to carry on our programmes and we will continue to do so.”

The director said that no doubt the mugging had thrown a new challenge to the peaceful and open environment promoted by the T2F management. “Our board will now meet this week and discuss these issues to ensure the safety of our visitors, and will explore all options, including installing CCTV cameras, “ she said. However, she didn’t think that security guards would have made any difference since history shows that such personnel can do little to avert a dacoity and in many cases are in fact found to be involved themselves.

Ghazal Pirzada, one of the featured artists of the ‘Loot Maar’ exhibition, said it was the last day of the show at T2F. “We were all getting ready to pack up by 9pm and leave, when the incident occurred.” The number of robbers varied between three and four, according to the witnesses The Express Tribune spoke with. However, they concur that the men struck at 8:25pm and cleaned out the belongings of more than 30 people within seven to ten minutes.

“Nobody could have thought this could happen. But when the men came out brandishing their pistols, all of us went numb,” she recalled. However, even though the men warned the people against “acting smart” and instructed them to lay out everything they had with them, Pirzada managed to hide her expensive DSLR camera and one Macbook under a pile of magazines. “I even saved my mobile phone in my pocket. All that they took away from me was my wallet which had around Rs6,000,” she said.

Some of the artists have been approached to draw sketches of the culprits, but so far none of them have come forward. A staff fo The Express Tribune who was at the event and witnessed the mugging, said on condition of anonymity, that they barely got a glimpse of the thieves as they repeatedly said: “Look down at the floor or else we’ll shoot you in the face.”

One of the hostages was also reportedly slapped when he didn’t follow instructions to lie on the floor immediately.

Artist Sheema Kermani said such incidents will not stop anyone from expressing themselves at places such as T2F. “We are willing to take the risks,” she said.

Spoonful band member, who regularly performs at T2F, said the entire episode was ‘unsettling.’ “Undergound bands hardly have a few decent places to perform and promote their music. Now when such incidents will occur at places like T2F, who would come?”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2011.